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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: land · trunk · object · lean · kick · game · scale · plane

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. scale — in music
  4. kick — in football
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. lean — to bend
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. land — to come down
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. object — an aim
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. lean — thin
  14. scale — size or range
  15. object — to protest
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. plane — a tool
  18. object — a thing
  19. land — ground
  20. land — a country
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. game — a match
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. game — wild animals

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com